April 16, 2024

Less than 200 days!!

That would have been a better title if I had been paying attention!

What's been going on?   We've been enjoying the oddly nice weather we've been having here in SE Michigan.  We even had clear skies for the eclipse last week and got to see it!  Normally for an event like that it would be cloudy. 

 

I use step-in fence posts in the cemetery for the skeletons. However the only ones I have been able to find are 4 feet tall - and 9 inches of that goes underground.  Depending on the shape of the skeleton's spine, they may stand up straight or they lean backwards since the top of the fence post barely reaches above the hipbones.   So I've been on the lookout for taller ones. 

Back in January, I was driving to Kalamazoo for a conference and I happened to notice there is a Rural King store in Michigan.  Exactly one!  

So I checked out their website and they have 63" fence posts!  IN STOCK!  

Which means 54" is above ground, so they're going to be perfect for the skeletons!  And they're only $5 each!  That box leaning against my house is taller than me (I'm 5'8") and $20 shipping was worth it, since it took less than 24 hours for them to arrive!  Even if I would have had to pick them up, it would have only been a 45 minute drive or so - and this was cheaper since I would have had to shop while I was there!  

Chuck for scale. 
I'm so excited.  My skeletons will be able to stand straight up! 

Warm & sunny in the hoop!
I'm sure this and the Pumpkin Spice Rumchatta I saw at the local Meijers was left over from last year, but I still did a double-take when I saw them!
On St Patrick's Day, we packed up and drove to Toledo to see the monster trucks.  
I did have to remove Chuck & his buddy so actual kids could use those carseats. 
Gravedigger
Zombie
Chuck was all dressed up for St Pats, even tho we didn't go anywhere. 
We spent Easter at my sister's house like usual.  
*****
Chuck also watched the eclipse, too.

Halfway to Halloween is coming soon!  
I'll have to come up with something special for Chuck to do....

until then......


We have new friends that arrived today!  Can't wait to get home to see them!
I was stoked to get these guys for the same price most people on eBay had one listed for - with cheaper shipping....and an offer from the seller to knock $10 off!  
Yes, they're for St Pat's.  Next year I'll actually decorate!

February 29, 2024

It's LEAP Day

Just checking in since it's been a while.

Happy Leap Day!  

Not much has been going on around here.  I will be waiting until spring actually arrives before working on any props.  Actually - I don't have anything planned to actually build, other that finally using the 4"x4"x7' fence post that I found on the side of the road 2 or 3 years ago to make a super solid coat tree to put near the back door.  

Halloween related - I just plan to repaint the headstones and make sure the edges of the plywood is nice and sealed.  Most of my stones are originals from 2008 so there are a few cracks that need attention. 

Chuck took a trip with me to Kalamazoo at the end of January.  He chilled in the hotel while I was at the VFW's Mid-Winter Conference & Banquet.  He guarded the donuts we got on the way home, too. 

Yes - it's a city in Michigan! 

This popped up in my SnapChat memories!
The Grandson is about 2 here. 
We had a large branch break during the first snow we had this season.  
It's not dead yet!  I grabbed that icicle and it tasted like maple syrup! 
This must have been when I was packing to go to Kalamazoo - Rusty was helping. 
Woo.  Super Bowl. 

This car made us laugh - someone must have been trying to get at the hamsters inside the Kia!
So I was watching TV with the grandkids - WTF????

and finally....
Since we had our false spring already - I had to put the snowmen away. 
My & the granddaughter were outside barefoot in the yard on Tuesday, Wednesday it dropped 30 degrees by mid-afternoon!  Michigan is crazy, yo.  But it's supposed to be back up to 60 this weekend.  

Sheesh

January 30, 2024

Pioneer Cemetery, Morristown OH

It's been a while since I've explored a new-to-me cemetery!  


Disclaimer - I'm just a tourist - this cemetery is a good 5+ hours from my home, I have no affiliation with the township and I'm not likely to go back there anytime soon.

Although, if I did live nearby, I'd sure be getting permission to clean up the stones!
Which, by the way, the material the stones were made out of reminded me of the old burying grounds in Boston.  Dark slate that eroded off in layers. 
I had taken an overnight road trip to Ohio with my sisters between Christmas & New Years and I had some time to myself, so I checked out a couple local cemeteries.  I tender to prefer smaller, older ones so I can take it all in.  This one met all my preferred criteria! 

As soon as I came over the little hill in town, I was like "oooooooooo!"

I'm 110% certain at one point the entire cemetery was surrounded by that picket fence.  The corner posts are still visible.  There are houses on each side.  In fact, just to the left of the fence above is someone's driveway leading back to a shed that sits just behind the former fenceline to the cemetery. 
I'm going to try to compare the stones I took pics of with the ones already recorded in the Find A Grave page to get the names.  It's tough since a lot of the FAG pics are 10-12 years old and they have a lot less moss, lichen & damage!
I couldn't find a listing for this one. 
 But I zoomed in on this one and 
OMG - so pretty!  
 The stone is very unique. All of the stones in this cemetery are early to mid 1800s so seeing color on it was a surprise. 
Joseph, son of Lindol & Margaret Sprague
died October 6, 1832
aged 13 months, 9 days
or maybe
James Wilson, son of John & Charity Lippincott
died August 18, 1831
aged 6 years, 4 months, 2 days

The stones are very similar, having the same shape and the same carving in the upper bumpy thing 
John Perry 
Continental Line
Revolutionary War
1752-1825
*********
John Perry, a solider of the Revolution, died November 9, 1825 aged 73 years, 1 month & 28 days
Jane, consort of John Perry, died May 11, 1812, aged 73 years
No listing - heck it might even be a footstone!
Dr Joseph Gaston 
died July 11, 1833  aged 28 years, 1 month & <blurred>
It says Hymn 23.4 in the bottom right but with a little help from Google, it's a hymn called Blest be the Tie That Binds. 
This is the back of Dr. Gaston's - I've never seen such fantastic carvings on the back of a stone before!
Couldn't find a listing but the shape is really interesting!
Possibly Mary Horner
1828-1892
She doesn't already have a stone pic listed and all I can make out is an M.
William H. Howard
Capt, Continental Line
Revolutionary War
1822
William Beard
Recruiting Service
Maryland Line
Revolutionary War
Oct 10, 1762 - 1835
Robert C. Botkin 
Col. Ohio Militia
War of 1812
1791-1863

You can see one of the white fence posts just to the left of the stone, which is the opposite corner from the sign & flagpole. 
The tree just to the left of the post looks like it had been visited by someone rubbing their antlers!
Nancy Warnick
Died on the 26th of some month, 1840
Hannah Cunningham
died Dec 13, 1839
age 14
I didn't see any listing with a round base like that! 
Jane Rebecca
daughter of Charles & Mary McKinny who died February 19 1826
aged 5 years, 11 months and 10 days 
~suffer little children~
Morristown Founder
S/Major Duncan Morrison
1st & 7th PA Foot Regt
Revolutionary War
Valley Forge
Built the Black Horse Inn
First Justice of Peace
Died February 26, 1827
Husband of Mary Fletcher Morrison
Sarah, daughter of Carolton & Ann Collins
died July 1, 1834
aged 3 years, 10 months 14 days
I definitely see a "T" about halfway down on the left with an "ER" across from it, but that's about all.  
But no listing matches it. 
Mary, wife of Nicholas Rodgers
died January 27, 1852 aged 74 
John Israel - Surveyor
Cadet 12 VA REGT
Revolutionary War
1749-1822
I didn't find a listing for this one, either.  
The shape of the top of this is fantastic!
 I can make out "sacred to the memory of" at the top and there's a definite B along the left side.
The only unaccounted for listings with a B are Amos R. Bonifant 1857-1923 and Cassandra Catherine Davis Bonifant 1848-1920
So maybe this is their's?
This one was face down - it was small so I could have easily picked it up & turned it over, but when I reached down for it - something told me not to. 
So I didn't.
Joseph, son of John & Catharine Eaton
died Feb 8, 1825
The carvings are beautiful!
Kenturah Elliot
Died July 1, 1845
age 23
I can honestly say I've never heard that name before!
Martha, wife of Alexander Morrison
died February 9, 1846
age 71 (maybe?)
John Eaton Sr
(a free mason)
Husband of Catharine Eckles
engaged in the hotel & mercantile business
Morristown, Ohio
1781 PA - 1843
James Moore
died Aug 13, 1843
aged 13 years, 10 months, 10 days
William Ramsey
Ensign PA TRP
Revolutionary War
January 1756 - January 1841
William Ramsey
His headstone faces the other direction
I didn't see any listing that had this shape or damage. 
Henry Walkinshaw
died October 25, 1827
Mary Jane, daughter of James & Eleanor Gray
died August 8, 1831
age 7 years, 11 months & 28 days
Jane, daughter of J & LA Gourley
died August 30, 1846
aged 2 years, 2 months & 10 days
I'm guessing that this belongs to 
Alexander
son of R&E Morrison
died in July 1850?  
Can't even begin to guess on this one!
Zooming in, I can't make out a name other than Andrew - but looking at the pic as I'm typing, it clearly says Hannah.  But there's only one Hannah listed and I already have her stone above!

Very cool cemetery! I enjoyed my visit there.